Air impeller



Jan. 11, 1944.

R. w. KRIT'ZE AIR IMPELLER Filed Dec. 22, 1941 2 SheetsSheet 1 Jan. 11,1944. .R; w. KRITZER AIR IMPELLER Filed 'Dec. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet2 1. Quid/1% Patented Jan. 11, 1944 UNlTED STATES ATNT QELFIQE Theinvention relates to air impellers.

One object of the invention is to provide an air-impeller of highcapacity or efficiency.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air-impeller of thedrum-type in which a belt is guided to form pockets which are increasedin area during the rotation of the drum, so as to tend to draw air intothe pockets at the intake side of the drum and are reduced in areaadjacent the discharge side to tend to expel the air from the pockets.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detaileddescription.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at theconclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a transverse section through an impellerembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the impellerin a different rotating position. Fig. 4.- is a similar sectionillustrating the eccentrically mounted belt-guides adjusted for varyingthe air-flow.

The invention is exemplified in a trunk or casing through which air isforced from an inlet portion to an aligned outlet portion. The casingcomprises straight end-walls IE3 and sidewalls l2. These walls form aduct which is rectangular in cross-section. A rotor of the dru1ntype ismounted to rotate in the duct to impel air from the inlet portion of thecasing through the outlet portion. The rotor comprises heads orend-members i3 adjacent the inner face of the walls 12, respectively.Heads l3 are rigidly connected together for conjoint rotation by rodsiii, the ends of which are riveted or suitably secured in the heads l3.One of the heads l3 has affixed thereto a trunnion I4 which is journaledin a bearing l5 which is supported from the casing and the other head [3has afiixed thereto a trunnion I'd which is coaxial with the trunnion l4and is journaled in a bearing l8 which is fixed to the opposite end-wallQ2 of the casing. A belt-pulley i6 is fixed to the outer end of trunnionIt for driving the drum at the desired speed.

A series of belt-guides, such as rollers extend between and have theirends journaledfor rotation on their own axes in the heads it. Therollers are parallel to the axis of the rotor and form a circumferentialseries of belt-guides adjacent the outer periphery of the heads iii.

A series of rollers 32 corresponding in number to the series of rollers2b are parallel to the axis of the rotor and are supported for bodilyrotation around an axis which is parallel and eccentric to the axis ofthe rotor. Rollers 32 are supported in a drum 22 which comprises heads30 adjacent the inner faces of the heads l3 of the rotor and members 3iwhich rigidly connect the heads 38. Each roller 32 is journaled forrotation on its own axis in the heads 30. The drum 22 is journaled forrotation on a shaft 23 which is carried by and secured in hangers orarms 24 and trunnions 25, 26 on said arms, respectively, which aresupported coaxially with the rotor in the trunnions i l and ii on therotor. By supporting the shaft 23 for the drum 22 on the arms 24, thedrum 22 which carries the rollers 32 will be supported for rotation onan axis which is parallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor. Duringthe operation of the impeller, arms 2% and trunnions 25 and 26 arelocked to hold the shaft 23 in its assigned eccentric position by meansof an arm 2? which is fixed to trunnion 26 and a screw 28 which looksarm 21 to a disk or flange 29 on the stationary bearing l8.

An endless belt 2! extends across the casing between the heads it of therotor and is alternately looped around the rollers 2 which are rotatedbodily with the rotor and the rollers 32 which are carried by the drum22 which is rotatable on an axis which is eccentric to the axis of therotor. This alternate looping oi the belt 2| around the rollers 26 whichrotate bodily with the rotor and the rollers which are bodily rotatableon shaft 23 causes the belt to rotate the drum 23 and the rollers 3'2carried thereby on the eccentric axis of the drum while the rotor isdriven. The drum 22 and rollers 32 during the rotation of the drum arefree to rotate on shaft 23 so that the drum 22 will be rotated by thebodily rotation of the belt it with the rotor. By looping the beltalternately around guides, such as rollers 23, circuniferentiallyarranged on the rotor, and guides, such as rollers 32 which are free torotate bodily on an axis eccentric and parallel to the axis of therotor, the belt, during the rotation, will, at the intake side,successively form an enlarged sector-shaped pocket of great area whichwill be progressively decreased in area as the loop between two rollers20 and the intermediate roller 32 forming the pocket passes away fromthe inlet side of the casing toward the outlet side. Members 3!, whichare fixed to the heads St of the drum 212, guide the loops of the beltaround rollers 32 during the rotation of the rotor and the drum 22.While the rotor is driven, the belt itself has a limited reciprocatorymovement around the guide-rollers. The belt 2! may be of suitablesomewhat elastic material so that it will be kept taut and to take upany slack which results from constantly changing relative position ofthe rollers 2C and the rollers while the rotor driven. If desired,flexible, non-elastic material may be used since an intermittent limitedamountof slack in the belt will not interfere with the operation of theimpeller. A cut-off plate 33 is fixed in the casing adjacent the inletside of the rotor. A cut-off plate 34 is fixed in the casing adjacentthe discharge side of the rotor.

The operation will be as follows: assuming the rotor to be continuouslydriven, pulley l3 and heads I3 will be rotated and will bodily move.

the rollers 29 through a fixed circular path concentric with the axis ofthe rotor. The drum 22 is free to rotate on the shaft 23. The rollers 32on drum 22 are confined for rotation in a circular path which iseccentric to the circular path of rollers 25 on the rotor. The rollers32 are located within the circumferential extent of and between the endsof the rotor. The movement of the rollers 21! and the rotor in the fixedcircular path will cause the belt 2! to bodily move the rollers 32 in afixed eccentric circular path around shaft 23. This will cause the loopsbetween each pair of guide-rollers 20 on the rotor and the intermediateguide rollers 32 on drum 22 to form a sector-shaped pocket of maximumarea which will be loaded with air from the inlet side of the rotorduring the intake cycle of that loop of the belt, as illustrated by theloop at the top of the rotor in Fig. 1. As the rotor continues inrotation the magnitude of the angle formed by the sides and the depth ofeach belt-loop and the resultant area of the sector-shaped pocket willbe progressively reduced, as illustrated in the pocket at the right-handside of Fig. 1. As the trailing roller 3% of each loop passes thecut-cit 33 this reduction in area will cause the air in the pocket inadvance thereof to be compressed. As the leading roller 23 of each looppasses away from the sidewall i t at the discharge side, the air will beexpelled from the loop and impelled into the duct at the discharge sideof the rotor until the rotor reaches the position at the lower righthandside of Fig. 3. When the leading roller 20 of each loop has passed theinner end of the cut-off 34 at the discharge side, the pocket formed inthe loop in advance thereof will be of reduced area and commence to loadwith air from the inlet side of the duct. As the same loop continues inrotation, the area of the pocket will be increased to its maximum, asshown at the top loop of Fig. l, and this will produce a tendency todraw air into the pocket. In this manner the loops of the belt will formpockets of maximum area in loading and their area will be reduced tocompress the air and discharge it from the rotor at the discharge sideof the duct.

The axis on which the roller-guides 32 are bodily rotatable relativelyto the axis of the rotor may be varied by the adjustment of arms 24 andtrunnion 26, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This can be effected by theangular adjustment of arms 2A which are supported in the trunnions M, H,through 2'! and looking it by screw 28 to disk 29, in its adjustedposition. When this is done the commencement of the loading of thepockets at the lower left-hand corner is deferred for a longer periodand this reduces the volume of the air impelled through the casing. Thislocking device perrmts the arms 2 to be adjusted through an arc of 180or more so that the flow of air may be reversed in the duct withoutreversing the direction of rotation of the rotor.

The invention exemplifies an air-impeller which is of high capacity, isadapted for use in a straight duct, and can be regulated to vary thevolume of air impelled through the duct.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingprovided with a circumferential series of belt-guides extending parallelto the axis of, and mounted for rotation in a circular path concentricwith the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, a second seriesof belt-guides extending parallel to the rotor-axis, means forsupporting the second series of beltguides located within thecircumferential extent of and between the ends of the rotor and for bodily rotation on an axis parallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor,and a belt alternately looped around the guides on the rotor and thesecond series of guides and adapted to rotate the second series ofguides around the eccentric-axis when the rotor is driven.

2. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingprovided with a circumferential series of belt-guiding rollers extendimarallel to the axis of, and mounted for rotation in a circular pathconcentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, aseries of belt-guides extending parallel to the rotoraxis, means forsupporting the belt-guides located within the circumferential extent ofand between the ends of the rotor and for bodily rotation on an axisparallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor, and a belt alternatelylooped around the rollers on the rotor and the series of guides, andadapted to rotate the series of guides around the eccentric-axis whenthe rotor is driven.

3. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingprovided with a circumferential series of belt-guides extending parallelto the axis of, and mounted for rotation in a circular path concentricwith the rotor, means for driving the rotor, a series of belt-guidingrollers extending parallel to the rotor-axis, means for supporting therollers located Within the circumferential extent of and between theends of the rotor and for bodily rotation on an axis parallel andeccentric to the axis of the rotor, and a belt alternately looped aroundthe guides on the rotor and the rollers, and adapted to rotate thesecond series of guides around the eccentric-axis when the rotor isdriven.

4. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingprovided with a circumferential series of belt-guiding rollers extendingparallel to the axis of, and mounted for rotation in a circular pathconcentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, asecond series of belt-guiding rollers extending parallel to therotor-axis, means for supporting the sec ond series of rollers locatedwithin thecircumferential extent of and between the ends of the rotorand for bodily rotation on an axis parallel and eccentric to the axis ofthe rotor, and a belt alternately looped around the rollers on the rotorand the second series of rollers, and adapted to rotate the secondseries of rollers around the eccentric-axis when the rotor is driven.

5. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casing,comprising a pair of heads connected together for conjoint rotation, acircumferential series of belt-guides extending parallel to the axis of,and mounted on the heads for rotation therewith in a circular pathconcentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, adrum extending between the heads mounted for rotation on an axisparallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor, a second series ofbelt-guides extending parallel to the rotor-axis and mounted on saiddrum for rotation in a circular path on said eccentric axis, and a beltalternately looped around the guides on the rotor and the guides of thesecond series and adapted to rotate the second series of guides and saiddrum around the eccentric axis when the rotor is driven.

6. In an impeller, the combination of a casin a rotor in the casingcomprising a pair of heads connected together for conjoint rotation,trunnions secured to the heads, a circumferential series of belt-guidesextending parallel to the aXis of, and mounted on the heads for rotationtherewith in a circular path concentric with the axis of the rotor,means for driving the rotor, a drum extending between the heads mountedfor rotation on an axis parallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor,a second series of belt-guides extending parallel to the rotor-axis andmounted for rotation in a circular path on said eccentric axis, and abelt alternately looped around the guides on the rotor and the guides ofthe second series and adapted to rotate the second series of guides andsaid drum around the eccentric axis when the rotor is driven.

'7. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingcomprising a pair of heads connected together for conjoint rotation, acircumferential series of belt-guiding rollers extending parallel to theaxis of, and extending between and mounted in the heads for bodilyrotation therewith in a circular path concentric with the rotor, a drumextending between the heads mounted for rotation on an axis parallel andeccentric to the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, asecond series of beltguides extending parallel to the rotor-axis andmounted on said drum for rotation in a circular path on said eccentricaxis, and a belt alternately looped around the guides on the rotor andthe guides of the second series and adapted to rotate the drum and thesecond series of guides around the eccentric axis when the rotor isdriven.

8. In an impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in the casingcomprising a pair of heads connected together for conjoint rotation, acircumferential series of rollers extending parallel to the axis of, andmounted on the heads for rotation in a circular path on an axisconcentric with the rotor, a drum extending between the heads mountedfor rotation on an axis parallel and eccentric to the axis of the rotor,means for driving the rotor, a second series of rollers extendingparallel to the rotor-axis and mounted on the drum for rotation on theeccentric axis, and a belt alternately looped around the rollers on therotor and on the drum and adapted to rotate the drum and rollers thereonaround the eccentric axis when the rotor is driven.

9. In an air-impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in thecasing comprising a pair of heads connected together for conjointrotation, trunnions on the outer sides of said heads, a circumferentialseries of belt-guides extending parallel to the axis of, and extendingbetween and mounted on, the heads for rotation therewith in a circularpath concentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor,rotatable means extending between the heads, a shaft for rotatablysupporting said means, arms for supporting said shaft from the trunnionseccentrically to the axis of the rotor, a second series of belt-guidesextending parallel to the rotor-axis and mounted on said means forrotation in a circular path on the eccentric axis, and a beltalternately looped around the guides on the rotor and the guides of thesecond series and adapted to rotate the second series of guides and saidrotatable means around the eccentric axis when the rotor is driven.

10. In an air-impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in thecasing comprising a pair of heads connected together for conjointrotation, trunnions on the outer sides of said heads, a circumferentialseries of belt-guides extending parallel to the axis of, and extendingbetween and mounted on, the heads for rotation therewith in a circularpath concentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor,a drum extending between the heads, a shaft for rotatably supportingsaid drum, arms for supporting said shaft from the trunnionseccentrically to the axis of the rotor, a second series of belt-guidesextending parallel to the rotor-axis and mounted on said drum forrotation in a circular path on the eccentric axis, and a beltalternately looped around the guides on the rotor and the guides on thedrum and adapted to rotate the guides and said means around the axiswhen the rotor is driven.

11. In an air-impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in thecasing provided with a circumferential series of belt-guides extendingparallel to the axis of, and mounted for rotation with, the rotor, asecond series of belt-guides extending parallel to the rotor axis, meansfor supporting the second series of belt-guides located within thecircumferential extent of and between the ends of the rotor and forrotation in a circular path on an axis parallel and eccentric to theaxis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor, a belt alternatelylooped around the guides on the rotor and the second series of guidesand adapted to rotate the second series of guides around the eccentricaxis by the rotation of the rotor, and means for adjusting thesupporting means to vary the circumferential position of the eccentricaxis around which the second series of uides rotates.

12. In an air-impeller, the combination of a casing, a rotor in thecasing comprising a pair of heads connected together for conjointrotation, trunnions on the outer sides of said heads, a circumferentialseries of belt-guides extending parallel to the axis of, and extendingbetween and mounted on, the heads for rotation therewith in a circularpath concentric with the axis of the rotor, means for driving the rotor,a drum extending between the heads, a shaft for rotatably supportingsaid drum, arms for supporting said shaft from the trunnionseccentrically to the axis of the rotor, at second series of beltguidesextending parallel to the rotor-axis and mounted on said drum forrotation in a circular path on the eccentric axis, a belt alternatelylooped around the guides on the rotor and the guides on the drum andadapted to rotate the guides and said means around the axis when therotor is driven, and means for adjusting the position of the drum in therotor.

RICHARD W. KRI'IZER.

